Membership

Cluster members comprise industrial companies or small and medium-sized enterprises or individualities, as well as research institutions, universities, trade unions and associations or government authorities at any level.

The benefits of membership

Benefits for entrepreneurs

The cluster enables the involved companies to improve their competitiveness and thus achieve higher performance, mainly by increasing productivity through better access to specialized suppliers, technology and information, higher innovation potential of cooperating companies. This is due to transfer of knowledge within the Cluster, generation of new ideas and higher pressure on innovation and expansion of the Cluster.

The cluster members increase their productivity as they get inside the cluster:

economies of scale, the possibility of sharing costs and investments

access to specialized inputs and labor force

access to supply chain optimization

new customers and opening up markets

internalization and exports increase

improvement of company image and better promotion

access to information

increase of innovation potential

greater power through lobbying – access to public institutions and resources

Benefits for educational and research institutions

Universities and research institutions create incentives for innovations and the cluster enables them to transfer their knowledge and expertise into businesses.

The close cooperation of universities with enterprises in the cluster leads to better knowledge of the needs of the industry. It offers opportunities to universities to respond to the requirements of entrepreneurs and adapt study programmes and plans so that graduates are better prepared for the practice.

Another benefit is better focus of research and development activities, including new opportunities for applied research. Collaborative research projects may represent a new source of funds for research institutions or universities, allowing development and improvement of the infrastructure.